How to Bowl an Inswinger

Cricket bowlers have a variety of ways of delivering a ball to a batter just like American baseball pitchers. One of the advantages for a bowler is that the ball may be roughened a bit, polished, and spit on. While a great many American pitchers have been accused of treating a baseball in a similar fashion, it is technically not allowed. An inswinger can be a nasty little change when a batter is leaning out a bit, expecting one away.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Plan on the ball swinging from the off side to a batter's leg side.
2. Grip the ball with the thumb immediately adjacent to the seam on the off side of the batter.
3. Place your index and middle fingers on both sides and against the seams.
4. Keep the seams vertical but angled slightly towards the slip side. The polished side of the ball is away from the batter.
5. Use your usual run up but deliver the ball with as much of a vertical motion as possible. Think of making your shoulder brush against your ear.
6. Consider adding the inswinger delivery to a yorker. It can make a batter look as though he's had a few too many at the pub on the way to the match.

Tips & Warnings

• American baseball fans can think of an inswinger as a screwball. The advantage that a bowler has over a baseball pitcher is that with a near vertical bowling motion, the needed spin can be imparted to the ball without stressing the elbow.